Pressure-controlling mechanism for flour-treating apparatus



Jam-6, 1925. 51,521,765r

R. H. GUERRANT v a PRESSUR CONTROLLING MECHANSM FOR FLOUR TREATIHG APRATUS Filsf. 19, 192; f

D WWW Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUssnLL n. GUERRAN'I, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR To INDUSTRIAL APPLI; ANCE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

,flPB'ESSURE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLOUR-TREATING APPARATUS.

Application led September To all whom t may/concern.'

y Be it known that I, RUSSELL H. GUERRANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 5 of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure-Controlling Mechanism for Flour-Treating Apparatus, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to apparatus for treating flour with a gaseous agent, such as chlorine or nitrosyl chlorid or mixtures of these gases, for the purpose of improving the baking quality of the flour, the present invention being concerned with that portion of' the vapparatus which is employed for controlling the iow of the treating gas from its container to the treating chamber or to the place in the apparatus 'where it is mixed with air for application in a highly diluted state, to the flour.

The object of theinvention is to provide certain improvements inl this part of the apparatus,x which have in view the simplification of the mechanism and the better and more accurate control and regulation of the gas fiow. Specifically the invention seeks to improve, 1n those respects upon the apparatus of U. S. Patent to John I. Logan for apparatus for maturing and bleaching flour, No. 1,188,665, granted June 27, 1916.

In the Hour treating process contemplated by this improvement, the flour is showered through an atmosphere of the gaseous treating agent. The amount of gas used in proportion to the quantity of flour treated 1s very small and the proper ratio as betweengas and Hour must be accurately maintained in order that the Hour may receive proper treatment. This involves some diiculty because the gas pressures in storage cylinders are relatively high and are not constant and also the volumes of gas required for treatment of the flour are extremely small for any given period of time. Chlorine gas is uite corrosive of most metals, especially if it containsv any trace of moisture, or if the metal parts themselves are moist, and the gas is likely to contain particles of foreign matter, and, as a consequence, there is likelihood of the parts of the apparatus becoming clogged or their orifices enlarged by corrosionA or obstructed by sediments so 19, 1923. Serial N0. 663,609. y

as to detrimentally affect the proper control .ofthe gas flow to the treating chamber.

With these conditions in mind, my invention seeks to improve upon the gas controlling mechanism heretofore employed in flour treating apparatus of the general type disclosed in the Logan patent above mentioned, with the Object of increasing the accuracy of Control and adjustment and the maintenance with greater'certaintyof exactview of the fitting shown in the lower part Y of Fig. 1.

The general arrangement contemplates havingI the gas from the Isource of supply,

for example, from the cylinder containing the same under compression in a liquid state, pass through two automatic pres/sure reducers arranged in tandem and then through a minute orifice in a thin barrier plate arranged across the duct leading from the second pressure reducer to the' mixing nozzle for mixing the gas with air.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a pipe leading from the source of supply of gas to a pressure reducer B. C is a second pressure reducer of the same construction vas pressure reducer B (but arranged inra different angular position), D is a cut olf valve connecting the low pressure side of pressure reducer B with the high pressure side of the pressure reducer C Iand E is a fitting connected by pipe section F with the low pressure side of'pressure reducer C' and vcontaining the barrier plate above referred to. G is a pipe leading from the fitting E to the mixing nozzle which is ordinarlly arranged to project into the flour treating chamber (not shown).- Preferably a pressure. gauge H of any suitable construction is arranged on the 10W pressure side of pressure reducer C to giveindication of the gas pressure on the high pressure side of the barrier plate.

Fig. 2 shows in detail the construction of the pressure reducer C, the construction of pressure reducer B being preferably identical, as stated. rlhis device comprises a casing member 10 and a bonnet 11, between which is clamped a iiexible diaphragm consisting preferablyof an outer copper plate 12 and an inner silver plate 13. The silver plate is used because this metal is very little affected by the treating agent. The casing member 10 is formed with an interior web portion 14 dividing the same into an inlet or high pressure chamber 15 and a low pressure chamber 16. Thel pressure gauge H and the pipe section F are tapped into the casing so as to communicate with the low pressure chamber through ducts 17.

The web 14 is formed with a port 18 connecting chambers 15 and 16. i.

The diaphragm 12, 13 has secured to its inner side a spring centering stud or abut;l

ment 19 grooved at 20 to receive one end ot' a spiral spring 21, the other end of which iits over a projection 22 on the web 14. 0n the other side of the diaphragm isl a spring centering stud 23, ,studs 19 and 23' being clamped to tire diaphragm by means of a threaded stem onthe former, which 'is adapted to screw into an opening in the latter, the diaphragm being centrally perorated for this purpose.

interposed between the; centering stud` 23 and a spring follower 24 is a coiled spring 25, considerably larger and heavier than spring 211 An adjusting screw 26 provided with a hand wheel27 isthreaded through the end of bonnet 11 and bears against the follower 24, the end ofthe screw 26 being preferably pointed, as shown at 28, and bearing in a tapered recess 29 in the face of the follower.

The iow of the gas from the high pressure chamber 15 to the low pressure chamber 16,. through the port 18, is controlled by a reversed needle valve lstem 30 having a threaded connection; for adjustment, with a boss 31 formed on the spring abutment 19, the portion ot' the valve stem extending through port 18 being tapered as indicated .at 32 in the direction of the low pressure.

chamber. The valve has a square head 33 and may be adjusted by means of a wrench which can be inserted through an opening in the casing normally closed by a plug 34. 35 is aduct communicating with the duct 36 in the pipe connect-ion D (Fig. 1); and leading to the high pressure chamber 15' of the pressure reducer. j

rThe position of the tapered valve in duct 18 will of course depend upon the balance of pressures on opposite sides of the diaphragm. Increase of pressure on the lov.` pressure side of the valve will move the valve so as to diminish the effective size of the port and slow downthe flow off gas thus restoring the balance. the'pressure exerted by spring 25 on the outer side of the diaphragm, through manipulation of the adjusting screw 26, any required reduction of pressure may be obtained.

The fitting E which is interposed between the second pressure reducer C and the pipe G leading to the treating chamber is preferably constructed as follows: 37 is a member connected by unions 38, 39, with pipes F and Gr, respectively, and formed with an inlet duct 40, an outlet duct 41 and a gas receiving space or chamber 42 into which duct 40 opens. 43 is a hollow stud, the bore of which communicates with the outlet duct 41 and which projects into the receiving space 42, the latter being formed in a bonnet or cap piece 44 which is screwed into the fitting member 37. Extending across the end of the stud 43 is a barrier plate button or disc 45 secured to the stud by a cap- 46 and formed with a minute ori.- ice 47. The uplate is preferably made of silver or other metal which will not be corroded by action of the treating agent. By arranging the barrier plate, as shown, that is in a hollow element or art which projects into the space into which the gas enters from the pressure reducers, a trap is formed for any impurities there may be in the gas, such impurities being intercepted and collected in the space 42. By

arranging two` pressure reducers in tandem of the construction, above described, in the gas conduit in advance oit'` the barrier plate a uniform pressure of any desired intensity may be maintained against the high pressure side ofthe barrier plate. S0 long as the orifice in the barrier plate is kept from clogging, and this is effectively accomplished by the improved arrangement shown, the quantity of gas'iiowing to the treating chamber per unit of time will be Adetermined by the pressure maintained on the low pressure side of the second pressure reducer C' and by the size of the orifice 47 in the barrier plate 45. The barrier plate is removable so that it may be replaced by one with a larger or smaller orifice. 1t will be observed that all parts of the apparatus u subject to corrosion are easily accessible for cleaning and replacement.

lt claim: j

1. lin an apparatus of the character scribed, a pressure reducer comprising a cas *i ing enclosing a low pressure chamber and having a web project-ing thereinto and surrounding a relatively small high pressure chamber, a port through the web connecting .the high and low pressure chambers, a pair By adjusting of oppositely' disposed outlet passages leading from the low pressure chamber and an inlet passage leading to the high pressure chamber, the three passages being in substantially the same plane and at right angles to the port through the Web, a diaphragm forming one Wall of the 10W pressure chamber, a tapered valve adjustablj7 connected with the diaphragm and operating Within the port, and a plug in the casing in line With the port for giving access to the high pressure chamberfor adjusting the valve.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of means constituting a gas conduit, means for automatically maintaining a'constant but adjustable pressure reduction in one end of said conduit, a fitting to Which the low pressure end of the conduit leads formed with a gas recei,v-. ing space and a gas outlet duct, and a hollow element communicating with said duct and projecting into the receiving space and formed with a minute orifice through which gas may enter said element from said lre.

ceiving space;

3. In apparatus of the character demaintaining a constant but adjustable pressure reduction in one end of said conduit, `a fitting to which the lov;7 pressure end of said conduit leads formed With a gas receiving chamber and a gas outlet duct, a stud projecting into saidy chamber and formed with `a bore communicating With said duct and a barrier plate extending across the bore of said stud having a minute orifice.

4. In anapparatus of the class described, means for maintaining a constant flow of loT pressure gas comprising a -fltting lhaving a chamber therein, a 10W pressure conduit communicating with said chamber, and a gas outlet passage, a stud projecting into the chamber and formed with a bore co-mi municating With the outlet passage, and a barrier plate having a minute orifice mounted across the bpre of said stud.

RUSSELL H. GUERRANT. 

